Chance Meeting
by tyedyeXbilly
Summary: Hermione and Draco meet at none other than The Leaky Cauldron, what happens next? Sweet one-shot between Hermione and Draco. Rated M to be safe.


**A/N: Just something, in my opinion, sweet that popped into my head. Rated M just to be safe. Sorry kiddies, no dirty scenes. :(**

**DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I don't own any of the characters, only the plot.  
**

* * *

Hermione sat in the Leaky Cauldron staring into her half empty mug of Butter Beer. Today would have been Hermione's and Ron's 5th year anniversary. However, he had ruined all of that one year ago when Hermione caught him and her, at the time, best friend having sex in their bed. Soon after, Ron had asked for a divorce; even though Hermione had every intention of trying her best to fix their marriage. Ron was now married to this 'other woman' and as happy as he could possibly be, much happier then he ever seemed with Hermione. Hermione, on the other hand, had taken the divorce rather hard. She had thought that she had gotten over it quickly, as it turns out, she still hurt from it. Often she found herself in an assortment of muggle and wizard bars, not trying to pick up guys, but trying to drink away the pieces of her broken heart.

Her job at the Minstery was the only place she was able to take her mind off her heart. The people at her office would try to cheer her up but, gave up when she wouldn't come around. Most people would just let her go about her own way, not even giving her a passing glance. Even her friends, Harry and Ginny, where slowly loosing their faith in Hermione. They would still owl her once a week, telling her how Ginny's pregnancy was going along and would try to get her to come over to their home. Hermione hardly accepted these invitations, being around them only brought back memories of herself and Ron. Those where not the types of things she wanted to think about on this day.

So there she sat, slowly drinking her Butter Beer, thinking to herself about her failed marriage to the man she believed to be her soul mate. She didn't hate Ron in the slightest for what he did to her. In fact she respected his honest. But, even as she didn't hate him, it didn't stop her pain.

Her glass was empty when she heard a silky smooth voice say next to her say, "Could I be so kind as to buy you another drink?"

She looked over to see a familiar set of melted silver eyes, slightly long platinum blonde hair and a smirk on his face. She knew this man all to well and was not about to accept anything from him.

"I didn't think you where capable of doing anything kind, Malfoy." She shot back at him, heatedly.

"Have we met?" He asked to her, confusion swimming in his words. He was slightly taken aback by her harsh comment to him. Malfoy wasn't used to women acting like that towards him.

"Have we met? Are you joking? After all those years of constant torture, you're asking me if we've met. Well, I guess we haven't met; you couldn't look past your silly predigest long enough to see me for who I really was and still am." Hermione answered with a sharp tone in her voice.

"Granger?" was all he was able to say.

"Well as fun as this may be," Hermione started as she got up from her seat at the bar, "I must be going."

"Granger, hang on, wait a second."

Hermione wasn't listening to him as she zig zagged her way through the crowed bar and through the exit. She was just about to apparate to her flat when a firm hand grabbed her shoulder. Malfoy had fallowed her out of the bar and onto the muggle street.

"Please, have a drink with me," he said as he turned her around to face him.

"Why? I dealt with you too far too much in school, why should I have to deal with you now?"

"I know I was a jerk-"

"Jerk doesn't even begin to cover it, Malfoy." She stated, pushing his hand off her shoulder and beginning to walk off again.

"Hermione, stop for a second," he began as he caught up with her, "let me make –"

"Do you have some deep seeded problem with girls resisting your charm?"

"Yes, but that's not the point."

Hermione stopped dead in her tracks and turned on her heal to face him. "Then what in the point?" she said as she crossed her arms tightly over her chest.

"I just wanted to make up for what I've done in the past. I know I can't erase what I've done, but I can give an offering of peace."

Hermione knew she was fighting a loosing battle. She heaved a great sigh and agreed. "Only one drink and don't try anything funny."

They re-entered the bar, sat at a booth and talked as if they where old friends, not enemies. They talked over their jobs; he now played professional Quidditch for the Westgate Winged Horses, friends they kept up with after school and, sadly, relationships. Hermione thought that if she where to lie about what happened with Ron, he was sure to know. So, she told him of their marriage, Ron's affaire and their divorce. Malfoy thought she was completely insane for not hating Ron for his cheating habits.

"Well, I was furious at first. But, he didn't try to cover it up with some silly lie. He was honest with me about every single time he had done it. If I was to say that I still was mad at him, then I'd be ignorant."

"Why'd he cheat on you if far beyond me. You're smarter than anyone I can think of, you have a great personality and you're stunningly beautiful. I never thought he was good enough for you in the first place."

Hermione couldn't hide her smiling, blushing face when he said this.

Two Butter Beers and a few too many shots of Firewhisky, mostly consumed by Hermione, later, they made their way out of the Leaky Cauldron.

"It was good seeing you again, as surprising as that may sound," Hermione said once they where outside of the bar.

"You're not about to apparate, are you?" He asked her.

"Thinking about it," she answered, nearly falling off the curb of the sidewalk.

"No, let me walk you."

"And why *hic* would you wanna do a shilly thing like that for, Drakie?" she said as she walked over to Malfoy, tripping over her owl feet and landing into his chest.

"For one, silly doesn't have an 'H' in it. For two, you called me 'Drakie', which is something the Hermione Granger I know would only do if she was hammered. For three, since you're drunk, you might not want to apparate. You'd leave half your body here."

Hermione felt some butterflies in her stomach at this. She couldn't help but like the fact that he was showing some sense of caring.

_He really has changed, _she thought to herself.

Hermione tilted her head up a little to she could look into his eyes, softly placed her hand on his cheek and said "Aw Drakie, that's so sweet that you *hic* care!" She then placed a sloppy kiss on his other cheek.

Draco felt a smile spread on his face, "I don't care, I just think that you might be a little annoyed if you apparated back to your house without half your body."

"Oh Drakie, *hic* admit it. You like me," she said, giggling like an adolescent school girl.

"Come one, Hermione. Let's get you home and stop calling me that."

"What ever you say…Drakie." She giggled even harder.

The walk to Hermiones flat was, needless to say, wobbly. Draco decided, shortly into their walk, to place his arm around her middle to support her. He laughed at her feeble attempts to get him to admit his feelings for her that she so desperately thought he had.

Soon enough they where back at her flat. Hermione reached into her bag, got out her keys and attempted to unlock the door.

"Here," Malfoy started as he reached out for the keys, "allow me."

"Here ya go!" She said, handing him the key. "You're just trying to get in *hic* so you can make a pass at me."

He unlocked the door, handed the key back and said "If I were to try anything I would have invited you back to my place."

"Well Merlin!" she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him into her flat. "You can come in, ya *hic* know."

Before he could say anything, she turned around and gave him a drunken kiss on the lips. He couldn't stop himself from kissing her back and wrapping his arms around her waist. Her fingers found his hair and began to tangle themselves into his locks.

Draco pulled away after about a minute. "Hermione, your dunk-"

"So are you!" she exclaimed.

"Not nearly as much as you are and this is wrong."

"And why *hic* is this so wrong?"

"You're drunk, that's why."

"But if…oh I don't understand."

"Look, you need some sleep-"

"Will you sleep with me? *hic*" A hopeful look was glowing in her eyes.

"Yes, but when you're sober. I'll owl you in the morning, okay?"

"Fine then!" she exclaimed. "Do I get a good night kiss?"

"That was your good night kiss."

"What? No, that doesn't count."

"Why not?"

"Because *hic*, well... it just doesn't."

Draco lightly kissed her on the lips and before she could pull him into her lips even more, he left her flat and apparated to his own.

* * *

Hermione awoke late into the next morning due to a splitting head ache. Thankful, today was Saturday and she wouldn't have to go to work feeling like this. She got up to go to her bathroom, in search of some hang over potion, when she found some sitting on her night stand.

_Odd, _Hermione thought to herself. She hadn't remembered putting any there last night. Actually, Hermione couldn't remember most of what happened last night. All she could remember for sure was being at the Leaky Cauldron, feeling sad over Ron and someone else. Someone who, so desperately, wanted her to stay there. Something about being sorry about something.

"Was it Ron?" she asked herself out loud after swallowing the hang over potion.

"No." she answered herself, making her way into her kitchen. She thought that some food might help with her failing memory. As she scrambled some eggs, bits and pieces of the pervious night came back to her. She remembered saying to someone 'One drink and don't try anything funny' as she put her done eggs into a plate and began to eat.

"But who," she started out loud, once again, in between bites of her breakfast, "would I be saying something like that to?"

At this point an Eastern Screech-Owl, with a scroll of parchment attached to its left leg started to tap at Hermiones kitchen window impatiently. She retrieved the scroll from the owl and before she was able to give it a treat, it flew off into the clear blue sky.

Hermione sat back down at the table and re-started eating the eggs while reading the letter.

_Dear Hermione,_

_I can only hope that you remember most of last night. Well, I'd be surprised if you did, considering the condition you where in. I must admit, though, you are rather funny when you're smashed._

_Also, in case you don't remember much of last night, I just thought that you'd like to know that I was a total gentleman and didn't take advantage of you, despite your many attempts._

_Hopefully, you'll remember most of last night and maybe, only if you would like to, we could do it again sometime, only without alcohol, for your sake._

_Write me back when you get a chance._

_Draco Malfoy_

Hermione nearly spat put her egg when she read who it was from.

_Why on Earth would I have been with Malfoy? _She thought to herself.

Her memory of the night before came back to her in tidal waves. Seeing him at the bar and him trying to get her to have a drink with him. Him, some how, convincing her and them talking well into the night. She also remembered some of the comments she threw at him, this made her blush. Oddly enough, Hermione found herself looking forward to meeting with him again/on purpose.

Hermione, after finishing her breakfast, got a clean piece of parchment and quill along with a vile of ink. She dipped her quill into the vile and was about to reply when she felt a twinge of guilt stir in her stomach.

Her thoughts quickly flew to Ron, what would he think if he would find out about her date, if you could call it that, with Draco Malfoy?

_What dose it matter, what Ron thinks? _A tiny voice in the back of her mind asked her.

_It doesn't matter, _she replied to the voice she couldn't place a face to.

Without any further interruptions, she wrote her response to Draco. She wrote that she'd be happy to see him again and suggested that, is his schedule permitted so, for them to meet somewhere later that night.

She walked over to her sparrow, which was sleeping with its head under its wing, and stroked its head to make him up. The small bird rose almost immediately and looked up to Hermione.

"I have a task for you," she began tying the letter to the birds leg, "I need you to take this to a Draco Malfoy. I haven't the slightest clue where he lives though, so it might be a slight challenge. Maybe the Malfoy Manor, you might find him there," she finished saying. The sparrow nipped her finger in affection and took off through the open kitchen window.

_I do hope she finds him, _she thought to herself.

About two hours passed before she saw the little bird returning with a letter attached to its leg, once again. At the sight of this, Hermione thought that the sparrow wasn't able to fine Draco. However, when she got the letter from the bird and opened it, expecting to be greeted with her own penmanship, it was a surprise to her so she his penmanship. The letter had stated that he would be able to meet her that night and said that they should meet at a calm little restaurant along of Diagon Alley. It was called 'Efficacissima Rebellionis', Hermione hadn't heard of this place before but looked forward to it all the same. He had said to meet there at seven o'clock.

6:45 came along, the time in which Hermione thought it would be good to leave her flat, and she apparated to Diagon Alley.

She walked a little ways until she found the restaurant. Hanging about the entrance was a sign with the name painted on it. Under the name was an inscription which said 'Educatio est omnion efficassima forma rebellionis'. Hermione translated this and laughed a little under her breath, thinking back to her 5th year at Hogwarts, and entered the restaurant.

* * *

Two years Hermione stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around her and dried her hair with another. She went over to her clothes and noticed that her underwear were missing.

"Draco that was my last clean pair, give them back!" she yelled through the closed bathroom door.

"Couldn't quite make that out, Mione," he yelled back to her.

She knew perfectly well that he had heard her and just wanted to toy with her. She stormed out of the bathroom and into the kitchen, which was in earshot of the bathroom. He was seated at the table, hidden behind a copy of today's Daily Prophet.

"I said that was my last pair of-"

"Oh I heard what you said," he began, emerging from the Prophet, "I just wanted to see you in nothing but a towel."

"Just give me my underwear." Hermione said with a strain in her voice.

"And what's in it for me?"

"Not being hexed into the 4th dimension! Look I'm already behind and-"

"How about you marry me instead?"

Hermione only stared at him eyes wide open and mouth hanging opened.

"As much as I love your impersonation of a fish, I think I might like an answer a little better."

Silence.

"Hermione?"

"…ok…"


End file.
